“We have very sad songs,” Bastille’s lead singer Dan Smith starts. “But we burry them in happy melodies." It’s not quite how you would expect a band to kick off their concert, but that’s how Bastille rallied the crowd before diving headfirst into an amazing performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

The British indie pop band started the show promptly at 9 pm with an unforgettable performance of their new single, “Good Grief.” Although the song seems to be about the death of a close friend (“You’ll be missing from the photographs… I’ll be dancing at a funeral”), it features upbeat music and a catchy chorus that will easily get stuck in any listener’s head -- and embodies the truth of Smith's opening remarks.

This song’s unusual music video, which doesn’t appear to have anything to do with death, is a further testament to Bastille’s unique and signature eccentric style. When the crowd first heard the easily recognizable opening line - “So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?” - in a woman’s British accent, they all started cheering and grooving to the hard drum beat.

Known for producing songs with melodious tunes and catchy choruses about serious matters, Bastille is not your typical mainstream artist. Unlike a lot of pop music, Bastille’s songs grapple with deep philosophical questions. Their music challenges listeners to evaluate their lives and rethink their ethical views. In one example, “Weight of Living, Pt. II,”asks, “Do you like the person you've become, or...” And in another, “What Would You Do” brings up a mother’s moral dilemma of whether or not to sell her body for money to feed her child at home. Their music, while touching and emotional, incorporates pop beats pleasing to both the casual listener and the devoted indie pop fans.

During the show, the band swiftly transitioned from happy, dance-y music to slow, sad songs. Their set was almost split equally between songs from their first album, “Bad Blood” (2013) and their second, “Good Grief” (2016). For the first time in the United States, Bastille debuted their song “The Anchor,” to which the crowd sang and clapped along.

In one moment, singing passionately with his eyes closed, Dan Smith poured out genuine emotions and desperate cries. In the next, Smith was jumping up and down while still keeping a perfect pitch. I don’t know how he did it without losing his breath, but hats off to him for working on his cardio!

The lead singer actively engaged with the audience and often moved from center stage to the sides, singing along with concert-goers. At one point, Smith suddenly ran off stage, causing a lot of confusion. Twenty seconds later, Smith appeared on the second floor of the venue, where he went through the entire level and interacted with the audience. Needless to say, the crowd went wild and engulfed him with open arms.

The group, also featuring guitarist and bassist Will Farquarson, keyboardist Kyle Simmons, and drummer Chris "Woody" Wood, was dressed like effortless hipster rockstars. They wore black, white and grey minimalist t-shirts and sported undercuts, except for Wood who proudly shook a long, drummer rocker mane. Throughout the show, Simmons was fully devoted to playing his keyboard and only looked at the audience to volley back a large balloon that floated up on stage.

Although the show lasted for an hour and a half, time passed by so quickly that it felt more like ten minutes. Before Bastille even left the stage with the last note of Pompeii, the crowd began chanting, “Encore!” and “One more song!” Sadly, the band didn’t come back, and a stage manager had to tell everyone to leave. The crowd slowly filed out, with some lingering in hopes that Bastille would come back.

All in all, a wonderful performance by a terrific band that’s stuck around for the past few years. Check out Bastille’s VEVO channel here!